A/N: Thank you so much for all of your feedback on that last chapter! Hope you enjoy this one!

Chapter Seven

Despite the cut on her head, she told the others that patrolling had gone well. In the scheme of things, it wasn't a lie. They had dusted a number of vampires. She apparently scared a demon off by tripping. And she made out with Spike under a tree in front of her house. All in all, it was a successful night.

The next night she showed up at Spike's as she had the night before, this time dressed in a shorter skirt she found in the back of her closet and a t-shirt. The Scoobies had given her a look when she left, but she blamed it on the memory loss.

"This seems like me, right?" she said. They had nodded blankly, Xander openly staring at her legs, only to snap his eyes to hers as he stammered, "Uh, yeah. Right on, Buffster."

Spike opened the door to his crypt and smirked, eyes roving over her form.

"I see you're dressing for the occasion again," Spike said.

"Again?"

"This get-up is the type you used to wear when I first met you," Spike explained with a grin, stepping back to let her in. "Except you used to wear these sexy leather boots with the skirt."

She thought of the pair she had passed up in her closet, and wrinkled her nose. "Ew, I wore those willingly?"

"They were damn sexy, Buffy."

"No, they were not," she retorted. "But I'll take your word for it."

"You know, you don't have to wear stuff like this," Spike said. "I'd find you sexy in a burlap sack."

"But those are no fun to wear."

"Maybe you just haven't worn the right burlap sack," he joked. She walked up to him and draped her arms around his neck.

"You find me a truly sexy burlap sack and I will wear it. Until then, it's mini-skirts over here."

"You won't hear me complaining. You ready to go kill some bad things?"

She pulled her stake from the back of her skirt. "Let's go."

They settled against a tombstone afterwards, Spike smoking a cigarette while she rested her head on his shoulder. It felt nice to just be with someone. No one was asking her if she remembered anything or if she wanted to try a new exercise. They were just sitting and enjoying each other's company, and it was surprisingly refreshing.

"Sometimes I wish I didn't have to go back there," she said.

"To the Scoobies?" She nodded against his shoulder. "It's where you belong, though, pet."

"How do you know that?"

"They make you happy. You may not see that now, but they do. They're your friends."

"I know," she said glumly. "It's just so much simpler here. Things are clearer. I feel like my mind gets all muddled when I'm there. It's like sensory overload."

He tightened his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

"Well, you still have a few hours left until you need to go back," he said. She yawned wide and snuggled against his side. "Tired over there?"

"I had a trying night," she retorted softly. She wasn't joking. Three vamps had taken her on while Spike was occupied with two of his own, and it was a close fight.

"Is it always like this?" she asked. "Life and death all the time?"

"Sort of comes with the Slayer territory," he said. "You get used to it, though, I suppose. And it's not always death."

"I guess."

"So, have you figured out who was doing that stuff to you before?"

Buffy shook her head. "We have no idea. Which, you know, makes me feel great."

"You guys will figure it out."

"I hope."

"That's the thing about you Scoobies. As irritating as I find you lot most of the time-" she wrinkled her nose and he snorted. "-yes, even you, pet. You're a right pain-in-the-ass sometimes. Or at least you used to be."

"I'm guessing you deserved it," she shot back lightly.

"I'm going to choose not to answer that," he said, and she grinned triumphantly. "But, as I was saying, people can say what they want about you, but you get to the bottom of things. This is no different."

"I want to believe you," she murmured. "But all these dead ends? Not helping."

"Maybe you just need something to take your mind off of them," he replied, reaching forward and laying a hand on her cheek. He leaned in and covered her mouth with his, tongue dragging effortlessly against her own. His kisses were like a drug to her. One was never enough. A hundred weren't, either. Each one made her ache for the next; and she found herself powerless to her desires. It was just that everything with him felt so right. In a world that was becoming increasingly fragmented, he was the one thing that made her feel whole.

"I never want to leave this tree," she murmured, forehead resting against his. He chuckled, his fingertips exploring the slope of her collarbone.

"We have to eventually, love. Otherwise you'll be kissing a big pile of dust."

She wrinkled her nose. "Ew. A whole world of no."

She ran her hands along the lapel of his black duster, enjoying the feel of the leather beneath her fingertips.

"Maybe I can say I'm going to the library to research this afternoon, but really go to your crypt," she mused.

"While I appreciate the subterfuge, pet, your daylight hours are best spent with the Scoobies. Besides, I need my beauty rest."

"You're a guy," she shot back lightly.

"Who has needs," he returned.

"Of which I can so ardently help with," she purred, running her hands down the front of his duster.

"Easy kitten, you're playing with fire."

"I like the burn," she murmured, running her hands back up his chest and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Reminds me that I'm alive."

He went to say something, but she silenced him with her mouth over his. After that, there was little talking.

Buffy shuffled back to Revello drive, feeling the all-too-familiar settling dread at having return to the difficulties of her life in the light. She preferred the nighttime, only her and Spike and those fights that she barely had to think a second about. Her body moved instinctually for the most part, her brain along for the ride. There was so much thinking to do in the daylight. Difficult thinking, made only more difficult by the troubling lack of sleep she had been getting since her and Spike began their – well, whatever they began. She still wasn't entirely sure what was between them. They kissed a lot. And talked a lot. She would have to consult Cosmo.

She padded down from her bedroom into the kitchen, yawning wide while she poured herself a cup of coffee. Tara was at the stove, making a batch of pancakes. Willow was right before when she said that Tara made the best pancakes. They were always fluffy and not the least bit rubbery. Buffy saw that this morning was chocolate chip, and she found herself unusually grateful for the daylight. If anything brought chocolate chip pancakes, Buffy was a fan.

"You came in late last night," Tara noted, flipping the pancakes. Buffy nodded her head casually before taking a long sip of coffee.

"I was patrolling and all that," she said. "Did I wake you?"

"Habitual light sleeper," Tara explained with a small grin. "Willow turning on her side practically wakes me up."

"My doing what does huh?" Willow mumbled, walking into the kitchen and going directly to the coffee pot. Willow was hardly a morning person, and she needed a full cup of coffee in her before words were successfully strung into coherent sentences.

"Nothing," Tara said, grinning indulgently. "Just sit down. Pancakes are almost ready."

"Oohh, pancake-y goodness," Willow cooed, plopping down into the nearest seat. "I like that." She looked toward Buffy and asked, "So, how was patrolling? You dust a lot of vamps?"

"The usual amount," Buffy said, shrugging. "You know how it is."

"Let me tell you, I do not miss my short lived time on the Sunnydale Slaying Team," Willow said, wrapping both of her hands around her coffee mug. "Talk about stressful."

Buffy nodded, thinking about last night. There had definitely been some stressful moments. And then some not-so-stressful moments.

Dawn came into the kitchen and greeted them happily, grabbing a pancake from the plate and taking a large pite.

"Mmm, pancakes," she said with a full mouth. "Did I mention that I love Saturdays?"

"You're chipper this morning," Willow noted. She narrowed her eyes and mumbled, "Please stop."

"So, can I go to Spike's this afternoon?" Dawn asked, chomping away at her pancake. Buffy straightened up at the mention of his name, and realized that Dawn was addressing her. There was something about Dawn asking her for permission that she liked. It felt normal; like something the old Buffy would do all the time.

"Sure," Buffy said. She paused for a moment and said, "I'll go with you."

"Why are you going to Spike's, Dawnie?" Tara asked, putting the pancakes in the middle of the table and sitting down.

"He said he'd help me with my Shakespeare homework," Dawn said. "Apparently he used to be a big fan or something."

Willow laughed. "Spike a Shakespeare fan. I never would have thought."

"You don't have to come with me," Dawn told Buffy. "I'll be fine. I went there all the time by myself over the summer."

"I'm not worried about you," Buffy told her. "Well, no more than I presumably should be. But I just want to get out of the house. Some fresh air and all that."

"It's a crypt," Dawn reminded her. "The air isn't all that fresh."

"I don't mind. It'd just be nice to go out."

"Fine," Dawn said, grabbing another pancake. "But no distracting Spike. I have a test next week."

It was a testament to his and Dawn's bond that he wasn't distracted by Buffy. Besides the initial surprise at her showing up at his crypt a few hours after leaving, he focused his attention on Dawn, only paying the elder Summers sister a few glances here and there in between reading lines from The Merchant of Venice with Dawn.

She padded downstairs to grab a book she had left there before, and Spike went over to Buffy, glancing back at the ladder downstairs for a moment before slipping his arms around her waist.

"This was a very unexpected visit," he said quietly, dropping his head to hers for a quick kiss.

"I like to keep things exciting," she returned, resting her hands on his arms. "I didn't know you were such a whiz on the Bard."

He shrugged. "Live as long as I have and the hours add up. I like his stuff. Smart with a biting wit."

"I'll take your word for it," she said.

They heard Dawn climbing the ladder and they separated, Spike wandering back to where him and Dawn had been studying while Buffy leaned against the wall. When Dawn emerged, she was holding two books.

"I found this other one, too," she said. "Mind if I take it?"

"Sure thing, pet."

"Well, thanks for your help," Dawn said, stuffing the books in her backpack. "You ready, Buffy?"

"Yeah. I'm ready. Patrol tonight, Spike?"

He nodded. "I'll be there."

While they walked back to Revello drive, Dawn very casually asked, "You and Spike are boinking, aren't you?"

Buffy nearly choked on her own tongue.

"What? Why would you think that?"

Dawn began to list off the reasons, ticking them off on her fingers.

"He was giving you all of these meaningful glances. You guys were freakishly nice to each other. And you glanced at his crotch several times."

"I did not!" Buffy gasped.

"You can tell me if you are, you know, boinking him."

"Please stop saying boinking," Buffy said, eyes squeezed shut. She wouldn't mind another memory loss right about now. The memory of her sister saying that word repeatedly would forever haunt her.

"I'd be all for it," Dawn continued. "He's clearly in love with you, and you seem to more than tolerate him now."

"He loves me?" Buffy asked softly.

"Buffy, it is, like, so obvious," Dawn said.

"He loves me," Buffy repeated, as if she was trying out the words for the first time.

"So, I'd be okay with the boinking. All for it, actually."

"Again with the boinking," Buffy said in a pained voice. "And we're not, by the way. There's nothing going on between us."

"Right," Dawn said knowingly.

"I'm serious."

"And so am I," Dawn said. "You don't have to lie to me. I get that the others might not be as on board, but me? Totally on-board."

"I promise, if anything happens, then you will be the first to know," Buffy told her. "But for now…"

Dawn frowned. 'Then you're both stupid."

"Huh?"

"He clearly likes you. You clearly like him. I don't understand why you guys make things so difficult."

"Because not everything can be easy."

"Well, this is something that seems pretty darn easy," Dawn said. "Don't make it more difficult than it has to be."

As they continued their walk in silence, Buffy thought that her sister was wiser than she looked.

A/N: This was a total fluff-ball. Couldn't help myself :D